News broke on Wednesday that the Kansas City Royals will be without 10 regular players as they cross the border to take on the Toronto Blue Jays in a four-game series. One of those players, Andrew Benintendi, has offered an explanation, albeit in a vague way.
Benintendi simply said (per Alec Lewis, The Athletic) that not getting the COVID-19 vaccination “was a personal decision.”
Andrew Benintendi provided a statement: "For me, it was a personal decision. And I'm going to leave it at that."
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) July 13, 2022
Most MLB fans were not especially sympathetic to Benintendi’s stance or explanation.
https://twitter.com/BenLebo/status/1547358308926861313
If I was a baseball player I would simply not be an idiot. https://t.co/IV0dfbvKZv
— #9FingerCraig (Ghost Pinky) (@CraigMac) July 13, 2022
“i personally am an idiot” https://t.co/sLzhWTznng
— katie dzwierzynski (@kdzwierzynski) July 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/AidanCurran_/status/1547352688907747328
It’s a personal decision for literally everybody. https://t.co/0pLIN2YUG7
— Joshua (@JoshuaHowsam) July 13, 2022
Sorry to absolutely belabor this point but I’m already tired of hearing about “personal decisions” from people who would look you in the eye and say they’re a team player https://t.co/B9qEUeIzra
— Bayou Billy Butler 🌾 (bayoubillybutler.bsky) (@BayouBillButler) July 13, 2022
On one hand, Benintendi doesn’t need to say anything more than this. He’s right. It is his decision and he doesn’t owe a detailed and unique explanation for making it. But the criticism he gets for his stance and this kind of explanation is also fair game.
In some respects, the timing of this is great for Kansas City. Yes, the Royals will be short-handed for four games in Toronto. But at the same time, they’re not a contending team. Nothing that happens over those four games could change that.
But in another way, the timing is awful. Contending teams will soon become buyers in the trade market, as the MLB trade deadline is on August 2. Benintendi, Kansas City’s lone All-Star, is a prime trade candidate. After Wednesday’s game, he is hitting .317/.386/.401 on the season. On paper, that’s a great addition for pretty much any contender. Now, his value is more limited.
Seven teams that entered Wednesday’s action at .500 or better will travel to Toronto in the second half of the season. One of those teams (the Baltimore Orioles) will do so twice. Furthermore, despite an underachieving season thus far, the Blue Jays are right in the thick of the Wild Card race. As such, any American League (and possibly even National League) contender could end up crossing the border in the postseason.
If you’re a contending team with a trip to Toronto still looming, how much are you going to give for a player who you know will miss all of those games?
